Cite as:
Palmisano S, Allison R S, Howard I P, 1999, "Stereoscopic detection and segregation of noisy transparent surfaces" Perception 28 ECVP Abstract Supplement

Stereoscopic detection and segregation of noisy transparent surfaces

S Palmisano, R S Allison, I P Howard

Random-dot stereograms depicting multiple transparent surfaces, lying at different depths, produce complex problems for the visual system. We investigated the perception of stereoscopic transparency with and without horizontal disparity noise. Stereoscopic displays depicted a surface with vertically oriented sinusoidal depth corrugations lying in front of, coplanar with, or behind a frontal plane surface. Gaussian-distributed disparity noise (standard deviations of 0, 2, 4, or 8 min of arc) was added to dots representing the sinusoid. In different conditions, subjects reported: (1) whether they saw the sinusoid or not (surface detection); (2) whether they saw both the plane and the sinusoid or not (surface segregation). While detection of the sinusoid was quite robust in the presence of substantial disparity noise (eg up to 2 - 4 min of arc), surface segregation degraded quickly. The depth order of the two transparent surfaces was important for surface segregation, which was achieved more readily when the plane was located in front of the sinusoid than when it was beyond or bisecting the sinusoid. The processes involved in segregating transparent surfaces would appear to be particularly susceptible to disparity noise--presumably owing to difficulties in distinguishing disparity discontinuities produced by transparency from those produced by noise.

[Supported by the Defence and Civil Institute of Environmental Medecine, Toronto, Contract W7711-7-7393]

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